Developmental Stages of a Hurricane
...ther they go through a process of Development which involves several stages know as the Stage of Development. Just like the Human Development the stages of development can have different lengths depending on certain environmental conditions. If the conditions are right, a hurricane can develop rapidly and go through these early stages very quickly. Hurricanes begin as a disorganized storm system in warm tropical waters near the equator. A central eye is formed by winds circulating in a counter clockwise motion. The eye is the calm center of the hurricane. They usually have a diameter of twenty miles across and few clouds or winds. These are the clouds surrounding the eye of the hurricane. The ocean water must be warmer than 26.5 degrees Celsius or 81oF. The heat and moisture from this warm water is ultimately the source of energy for hurricanes and they will weaken rapidly when they travel over land or colder ocean waters as they are locations with insufficient heat and/or moisture. Subsequent to the development of the eye, a Tropical Disturbance is the next stage in a Hurricane’s development. A Tropical Wave is the most common of tropical disturbances. They lack a closed circulation and have wind speeds less than 25 mph. Next is the development of a Tropical Wave. A Tropical Wave becomes a depression when there is a presence of a closed circulation, and has wind speed of 25 mph. This system is still quite disorganized however. Following a Tropical Wave is a Tropical Storm. This is an organized system of strong thunderstorms and a defined circulation. A Tropical depression becomes a Tropical Storm when shower and thunderstorm activities move over the closed circulation. This system has sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph. This system is also capable of minimal damage at this point. Finally a hu...